Page 64 of Fated for Flames

“This is complicated,” Lucien whispered as he seemed to take in all the information.

“There’s more,” I added, drawing in a deep breath before revealing what Chad had told me about powerful shifters disappearing.

The silence that followed was deafening. Rafe and Lucien absorbed the information in silence, their faces unreadable.

Then I pulled out the box along with the dark smut-siphoning book and gave it to Lucien. It was time Lia stopped leeching on my magic.

Lucien raised his eyebrows. “Where’s the other part?”

I cringed. “Err…it might be in the wall of Miss Clarissa’s office,” I said, expecting Lucien to tell me to retrieve it, but his head fell back and he laughed loudly.

I smiled. That was not the reaction I was expecting.

“That bitch deserves a little siphoning. She’s as cruel as they come,” he added with a wink.

We sat in silence, until Lucien said softly, “You should have trusted us with all his information sooner, Evelyn. We’re on your side. We’re a team.”

“I know. And I’m grateful for that,” I said even though I was still keeping secrets from them.

* * *

As we gathered around the table, Lucien served up an array of dishes that had my mouth watering. There was a hearty stew, freshly baked bread, and a salad so vibrant it could have been a work of art. The aroma was heavenly, a combination of herbs and spices that tickled my nostrils and made my stomach rumble in anticipation.

As I dug into the food, a moan escaped my lips. The flavors exploded in my mouth, each bite better than the last. I couldn’t help but gush about Lucien’s cooking skills.

“This is amazing,” I said, savoring a spoonful of the stew. “I haven’t had a home-cooked meal this good since…since my parents were alive.”

Lucien’s grumpy face lit up at the compliment. His eyes sparkled with pride and satisfaction, his chest puffing out slightly. He looked like a peacock preening its feathers, pleased with the admiration he was receiving.

After we finished eating and the dishes were cleared away, Lucien reminded me not to forget that tomorrow morning we had the school meeting at the outside theater. The entire school would attend, and he was one of the speakers.

“I won’t miss it for the world,” I assured him with a smile.

With a grunt, he waved in dismissal at my overcheerful reaction.

“Don’t forget to conjure an umbrella, it’s going to be torrential,” I warned him.

“They’re forecasting a warm sunny day. That’s why the faculty decided to move the meeting outside,” Lucien clarified.

“Just a hunch. Better to be safe than sorry,” I advised.

Last time, Lia and I skipped the mandatory meeting and stayed in her room watching movies. When the sky turned black and it poured like a monsoon, we had laughed our brains out.

Lucien retreated to his room, leaving me alone with Rafe.

“Come with me,” Rafe requested, extending his hand, which I took happily.

He led me to his study, and as we approached the balcony doors, he draped a large blanket over my shoulders. The cool evening air brushed against my face as he opened the doors.

Rafe turned to me, an almost shy look on his face. “Would you like to go for a ride?”

My heart skipped a beat as I realized what he meant by “ride.” I squealed in excitement, nodding eagerly. Flying in thearms of an angel, literally! It was beyond anything I’d ever dreamed of experiencing.

With a mischievous glint in his eyes, Rafe wrapped his arms securely around me, and before I knew it, we were soaring into the starlit sky.

The wind whipped through my hair as we ascended higher and higher, the world below us shrinking into miniature buildings and winding roads.

“Is it too late to tell you I’m afraid of heights?” I asked.

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